Motor-controlling device.



J. RICHMOND.

MOTOR CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mus, 1914.

1,226,255. Patented M. 15,1917.

a5 a4- A B .Zzrenior John Baciwzorui UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN RICHMOND, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A-SSIGNOR TO ADIERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MOTOR-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed January 8, 1914. Serial No. 810,935.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN RICHMOND, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor- Controlling Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of motor controlling devices, and relates to that type of mechanism in which provision is made for automatically reversing the direction of operation of a motor intermittently, by means of a continuously rotating controller, the motor circuit including a resistance element which is inserted, and gradually eliminated at each change of operation of the motor. In structures of this character, the practice has been to employ a starting box for the motor, or a separate starting box for each motor where the system includes a plurality, which also includes a resistance element that is gradually cut out as the motor increases its speed, and the purpose of this arrangement is to prevent the full current from passing to the motor upon starting, in case the controller should not be in such position as to cause the current to traverse all of the resistance elements which is adapted to be included in the controller circuit. This requires the employment of separate starting boxes and ad ditional resistances, and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide an arrangement by which the usual starting box can be eliminated, and the motor or motors can be started at any time without danger, the motor circuit being maintained open until the controller is in proper position, so that all of the resistance is included in the circuit, at which time the motor circuit is automatically closed, and the motor commences to operate first in one direction and then in the other. My invention also contemplates a construction whereby in employing a plurality of motors, any one ofthe series may be started or stopped independently of the others without the necessity of employing the usual starting boxes, the resistance elements that are employed during the reversing operations of the motors being utilized in like manner when they are started, the common controller serving to effectclosing of the motor circuits at the proper instant when starting, and likewise to regulate the reversing operations of the same. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

The drawing shows diagrammatically an embodiment of the invention as applied to the control of two motors, the lay-out of the controlling drum showing the connections.

In the arrangement shown herein, A and B designate the electric motors which are to be controlled by the system and adapted to operate alternately in opposite directions for predetermined periods of time, the device being designed for use in connection with various types of machinery, as, for instance, in washing apparatus, where it is desirable to actuate the washing cylinders intermittently in opposite directions, and L designates the main line from which current is supplied to the motors and to the controller that will be described presently, S being a hand switch arranged in the main line L.

The main line L leads directly to the stationary brushes L, L which are in turn connected with brushes L L and from these latter, extend the wires L and L to the opposite sides of the switches A and B, controlling the motors A and B respectively, and whereby either one may be cut out in dependently of the other. L and L are stationary brushes arranged as shown and connected with each other, and from which leads the wire L which is connected at L to opposite sides of the system, as will appear more clearly hereinafter. m, m m and m and a, a a and a designate two sets of stationary brushes which are connected with the resistance boxes M and N in the manner shown, there being one resistance box for each motor. Each resistance box M, N comprises three variable resistance elements, each consisting of a series of resistances of which one or more may be cut out. In one form of construction, the resistance box may comprise a series of contacting strips m connected by the series of resistances a. The contacting strips may be connected by removable screws or plugs, at the points N, and by this means the resistance may be adjusted to just the degree desired to maintain the motor at the desired speed, depending upon the particular use to which it is applied, and it will be understood that after the resistance is once manually ad: justed, it is automatically and gradually out out by the controller each time the operation of the motor is reversed. This is ac complished in the present embodiment by means of two series of contacts arranged on the operating drum, and designated at 0, 0 0 0, p, 29 p and 12 respectively. These are arranged for engagement with the brushes m, m m 992*, 72, n 11, 91, respectively. Z and Z are segmental contacts arranged to engage the brushes L L if, L respectively, while Z is positioned for engagement with the brushes L and L so that as the controller rotates, contacts Z and 0 first engage the brushes L, m establishing a connection between them, and thereafter the same contacts disengage said brushes and come into engagement with the brushes L and it, while contact Z engages the brush L and in this manner the path of travel 01 the current through the armatures of the motors is reversed. The controller may be driven by a suitable motor P' which derives its current from the conductors g, g leading to the conductors L, L respectively.

In order to prevent closing the circuit of eithermotor, except when the resistance is included, and at the same time to att'ord means for automatically closing the circuit at the proper instant, I provide electromagnetic switches A and B2 arranged in the conductors A and B which lead to the respective armatures. As the arrangement on both sides of the system is identical, 1 will, for convenience, describe only one or these devices, and referring to electromagnet A*, it will be seen that this is in a circuit including a resistance 7 and leading to one side of the switch A and also to the contact a which is normally connected to contact a by a spring actuated switch a a and a designate a pair of contacts arranged in the conductors a and a respectively, a leading to one side of the switch A through a resistance r0, while a leads tothe other side of the circuit at L The contacts a and a are normally disconnected, the resistances m and both being then in circuit with electromagnet A, and are adapted to be connected by a switch a which is also spring actuated, to normally hold it in spaced relation to the contacts a and VVhenthe switch a is operated, a circuit is completed through resistance 3 electromagnet A", switches a and a and conductor (6 the resistance a: being cut out, and electromagnet A is actuated by the increased voltage, and theswitch A closed so as to start the motor A. This circuit will not be closed until the controller is in its proper position owing to the fact that no current is supplied to the conductor a until contact 3* engages the brush if during the movement of the controller. The switch a is held closed until the electromagnet A is actuated to close the switch A and after the switch a is released, the circuit is again completed through resistance 0, reducing the voltage, but the current is sutticient to hold the switch A closed through the electroi'nagnet A as long as the switch a remains in its normal position, and by depressing the latter, the circuit through the electromagnet A is broken and the operation of the motor which it controls is stopped. The shunt fields of the motors are designated at A and B and are connected with the opposite sides of the switches A and B respectively.

The operation of the apparatus, briefly, is as follows: with. the parts in the position shown in the figure, the controller motor P being in operation, it it is desired tooperate motor A, the switch a is closed and held closed for an instant until switch A is operated by the electromagnet A which occurs when the contact Z engages brush L durin g the movement of the controller. At the same time contact Z engages brush Z and contacts Z and 0 engage brush L and m. (With the controller in this position current passing from the main line conductor through brush L will flow through contacts 2 and 0, brush m, conductor A switch A tomotor A, switch A, brush n contacts r and Z, brushes L and L and back through mainline switch S, during which time resistance M is connected with the motor circuit through brushes m, m m m and contacts 0, 0 0 and 0*. As the controller continues to rotate the motor circuit is reversed when contacts Z and Z engage brushes L and L and contacts Z and 0 engage biaishes L and n, at which time current passing from negative side of main line conductor through brush L will flow through brush L contacts Z and 0*, brush 11x switch A, motor A, switch A brush on, contacts 79 and Z brush L and back through main line switch S. During this time resistance M is connected to the reversed circuit through brushes m, m and m and contacts 79, p 79 and 9. At this point, the maximum resistance is included in the circuit of the motor A and the latter starts operating slowly, the resistance being gradually eliminated during the rotation oi the controllerin the manner already described.

1 claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an electric motor, of a controller adapted to intermittently reverse the direction of operation thereof and automatic means acting to close the motor circuit when the controller reaches a predetermined position, to start the motor.

2. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, of a controller adapted to intermittently reverse the direction of operation thereof, and automatic means acting to close the motor circuits when the controller reaches a predetermined position, to start the motors.

3. The combination with an electric motor of a controller adapted to intermittently reverse the direction of operation thereof, resistance in the motor circuit adapted to be inserted and gradually cut out at each change of direction of operation of the motor and automatic means acting to close the motor circuit, upon starting, when the controller is in position to include all of said resistance in the circuit.

4:. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, of a controller adapted to intermittently reverse the direction of op eration of the motors, independent resistances in the motor circuits adapted to be inserted and gradually cut out at each change of direction of operation of the motors and automatic means acting to close the motor circuits, upon starting, when the controller is in such position as to include all of said resistances in the respective circuits.

5. The combination with an electric motor, of a controller adapted to intermittently reverse the direction of operation thereof, a normally open electro-magnetic switch in the motor circuit, a resistance in the circuit preventing the closing of the switch, means for cutting out said resistance to effect operation of the switch when the controller reaches a predetermined point, to start the motor, and means for actuating the controller.

JOHN RICHMOND.

Witnesses:

HAROLD A. BAKER, FANNIE JAooBs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

